The national media is catching on to Democratic anti-Mormonism

The title: “Democrats have bigger anti-Mormon problem in election than GOP has.”

The key graph:

Despite the media’s obsession with the alleged anti-Mormonism of evangelical Christians, the party with the larger anti-Mormon problem is the Democrats. According to Gallup, while only 18 percent of Republicans said they would oppose a Mormon candidate, among Democrats the figure was 27 percent. As if on cue, Montana’s Democratic governor, Brian Schweitzer, last week volunteered that women would not back Romney because his father was “born on a polygamy commune in Mexico.”

To key points from your not-so-humble correspondent: 1)I and others at M* have roundly condemned, in the strongest language possible, Republican anti-Mormonism. 2)I actually think the Obama campaign has been relatively restrained in playing the anti-Mormonism card so far. I expected far worse and have been pleasantly surprised. I hope that continues. 3)There are valid reasons to oppose Romney related to his religion (many people I know just don’t trust and like people with his conservative lifestyle, and the criticize his lack of passion). I have no problem with that. What I have a problem with is disliking him because of his religion, and using it as a wedge issue, which is what the Lawrence O’Donnells and the Bill Mahers of the world do.

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About Geoff B.

Geoff B graduated from Stanford University (class of 1985) and worked in journalism for several years until about 1992, when he took up his second career in telecommunications sales. He has held many callings in the Church, but his favorite calling is father and husband. Geoff is active in martial arts and loves hiking and skiing. Geoff has five children and lives in Colorado.

7 thoughts on “The national media is catching on to Democratic anti-Mormonism”

It truly is the Mormon Moment. I’m on my stake’s speakers bureau, and spoke to a Catholic men’s group a couple weeks ago. When they asked me about Mitt Romney’s candidacy, I told them that it is a two-edged sword. We are definitely getting noticed, but concerned that a lot of it is going to be bad press that is focused on polygamy and other things that should be non-issues.

That much of the press is now beginning to notice the unfair attacks and speaking out about it, is a good thing. That we have Joel Osteen saying Mormons are Christian, and Jimmy Carter saying that Mitt Romney isn’t a radical and would make a good president, are good things.

Truly, Joseph Smith’s name is being spoken of for both good and ill in our day. And that is how it should be. These are part our growing pains, as we now become a recognized force in the world. The Catholics went through it with JFK, and are now generally accepted as a force for good in the USA. Here is where we must step forward with both our good side and our rough edges.

The hope is we can speak as Alma taught, “bold without being overbearing”, and show most that we are a force for good. Joseph Smith prophesied that the stone cut out of the mountain without hands would grow until it covered the earth. Well, here we are growing. This prepares us to be in the position to rescue the world when evil seeks to triumph, and we establish Zion as a refuge from the world.

But there will be many who seek to put us down, as we will be a threat to those wanting to promote secret combinations and wickedness on the earth.

I’ve been impressed by a number of reasonable Mormon portrayals from some liberal-leaning sources — Salon and Slate have produced some articles that, while far from being LDS newsroom copy, have been very fair, inclding a Slate piece yesterday on Correlation that could have been sourced from the bloggernacle. Of course there is no shortage of professional blowhards and bomb-throwers out there, so let’s hope the discourse keeps them at the fringe where they belong (I could say the same for a lot of talking heads on other issues, but can’t win ’em all).

The existence of a Mormon named Harry Reid will surely have a tempering influence on anti-Mormonism from the left overall. They will not be able to say “all Mormons” believe [insert any staple of conservatism here] because the easy counter would be to point to the Mormon Senate majority leader.

Anyone can say that he is a Mormon. But do they have a current temple recommend? Who are the Bishop/stake press. who signed it?
For that matter does the Senator from Nevada, Harry Reid?
For political expediency due to the large LDS Nevada population, his membership may be one of convenience.
Nothing was problematic about the democratic senator bird being in the KKK
Nothing was problematic about the democratic senator strom thurmon and Jesse Jackson both having a black child out of wedlock, the stormmer was white, by the way. Integrity is not apparently very high on the democratic list of virtues.